LAS junior Jacob Becraft is one of two University of Illinois students awarded Barry M. Goldwater scholarships for 2012-13.
The scholarship—awarded to highly qualified sophomores and juniors in science, mathematics, and engineering who intend to pursue careers in those fields—covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
Becraft, of Peoria, Ill., is majoring in chemical engineering. Since 2009, he has been researching gene and drug delivery in the laboratory of Professor Daniel Pack in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He intends to pursue a doctorate in bioengineering and conduct research in medical and bioengineering applications on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Becraft is the leader of a research-design project to create a point-of-use water filter that uses cattle bones to effectively and affordably remove arsenic and uranium from groundwater in financially limited regions. The project won a P3 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its national student design competition for sustainability. In 2011, the project received second place in the National Design Competition of the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference.
Recently, Becraft was awarded the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship for his commitment to a career in the environment, leadership potential, and academic achievement.
The 282 Goldwater Scholars for 2012-13 were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,123 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
Bryan Plummer, a junior in computer science, also won a Goldwater scholarship. Shyam Saladi, a sophomore in electrical and computer engineering, won honorable mention.
